Almost Gone and Still Fighting
by JeanetteMillerFan211
Summary: A thousand years ago, Aro, leader of the Volturi, kills off every vampire coven. The only ones left are the Cullens. The Cullens and the Volturi are now stuck in a war, secret from the human world, that has lasted centuries. The Volturi want power. The Cullens want peace. They want to live amongst humans and drink the blood of animals. What will it take for this war to end?
1. Hunting Trip Gone Interesting

**Hello! This is my first Twilight fanfic. Just warning you now, it's gonna be long. I expect it to be at least 30 chapters with the chapters being about as long as this one. I currently have 4 chapters written already and I will try to tell you when the next one will be up at the bottom. Enjoy Almost Gone and Still Fighting! XD!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Hunting Trip Gone... Interesting<strong>

"Edward! It was just an idea. You know his background as well as he does. It's the way he was raised," Carlisle said, trying to console me.

Jasper is the 'General' to our little 'army' against the Volturi. He thinks tactically. We need numbers. His first thought was to create an army of newborns. But that is too inefficient. Alice saw an attack coming when the snow sticks to the ground in two years. The newborns would reach full physical growth in one year. But it would take three years for them to be calm enough to be able to identify and attack the enemy.

Besides that point, we live too close to human society to put them in danger. The Cullens believe that because we are vampires, a being which possesses the abilities of both demons and ghosts but is neither demon nor ghost, we do not need to slaughter countless humans, like the Volturi does.

I, however, just want to try to avoid Hell and try not to break all the rules, not that there is anything left for me after this. I am eternally damned. But I don't blame Carlisle for changing me, even though I occasionally catch him regretting changing me.

_'I shouldn't have altered his fate… I've damned him.'_ Carlisle thought.

"No, Carlisle, don't blame yourself. I just need some time to think. I'm going hunting. I'll see you in an hour… maybe two…"

_'I'll be watching you,'_ Alice's internal voice taunted me.

"You don't need to. I can take care of myself," I said as I closed the door behind me.

The next thing I knew, I was running at top speed, pushing myself to go faster. I ran up into the mountains and caught the scent of a mountain lion, male, in search of a mate… Well you are what you eat. I tracked the scent quickly, weaving in and out of trees until I could hear its heartbeat, loud and strong. I silently crouched behind a bush, avoiding all of the twigs, threatening to snap and reveal my presence to my prey. Without warning, I suddenly found myself flying at the innocent animal and snapping his neck before I feel the warm liquid flow down my throat, quenching my burning thirst.

After I finished off my prey, I ran off back down the mountain, towards the meadow I found a few days after we moved up here. I took down a deer or two on the way.

When vampires get excited or stressed, we get thirsty faster. Carlisle is doing a study on that right now. He's going to ask a billion questions when I get home. Another thing I'm dreading when I go back.

When I arrived at the meadow, I started to pace. Now that I have a clear head, I can think.

Jasper wants numbers. The only way we can get them is to create an army of newborns. But if we do that, the Volturi will have more of a reason to slaughter us.

Everyone in my family has something to fight for except me. The only one I would fight for is Carlisle. He is basically my father. He created me and there is a part of him inside me. But if the Volturi were to come, I'm not sure if I would be able to save anyone but myself. I know I'm not strong enough to fight an Ancient off, like Aro. Ancients may be weak but they are extremely skilled.

If only I had something… someone to fight for. Carlisle has Esme. Emmett has Rosalie. Jasper has Alice. But who do I have? Most vampires search for their mates until they give up and ask Aro to kill them. Most of the time the Ancients find use for them.

But the question still remains. Who is my mate? My Esme? My Rosalie? My Alice? Who will I fight for? Is there no-

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping in the distance. I listened as the footsteps got closer. I couldn't smell whatever it was. The wind was blowing the scent in the other direction. It only had two feet and it was way too small to be a bear. It was most definitely a human. I could tell by the heartbeat which was now close enough for me to hear.

I knew all the trails around here. The nearest one is five miles to the East. And the human is coming from the North.

I listened as the human walked closer, tripping once or twice, until I could tell it was a girl, no older than 18. She was five feet from the meadow.

I stood there, frozen, as the wind shifted and blew her sweet smell into my face. I took in a short breath and held it. Her sweet scent almost made me lose all of my self control and take her blood for my own. She was a demon sent from my own personal Hell to torture me.

As she stepped into the meadow, our eyes locked. Those pools of chocolate brown almost made her blood smell sweeter.

Then I saw her whole face. I could tell she was beautiful, with her long brown hair and caring brown eyes, but she didn't carry herself that way. She wore an old pair of jeans with holes in the knees and fresh grass stains and a baggy t-shirt that didn't look too flattering. But with my vampire eyes, I could tell she had a slight build with a nice hourglass figure.

I heard her heartbeat increase and saw her cheeks flush.

But what really caught my attention is that I couldn't hear her mind. How is this possible? I can hear humans almost as clearly as vampires but this was too weird. I could faintly hear everyone's mind back home. It was too distant to hear clearly.

"Oh, thank goodness. I finally found someone. I got lost. I was hiking and I must've gone off the trail. I've been walking for hours. Can you help me?" she asked. I watched as her blush grew darker.

It took me a moment to get over my confusion. "Um… Yes. My house is only three miles that way," I said as I pointed to the West. I can give you a ride home when we get there, if you like." My air supply was gone. I wouldn't be able to talk anymore without breathing in her sweet scent and risking killing her.

She smiled a perfect smile, mesmerizing me. "That would be great! Lead the way!" She took a step towards me.

I turned and walked toward my house. I took a breath as soon as I was in the trees so I didn't catch her scent. She followed after me and soon caught up to me walking by my side. We walked for a while in an uncomfortable silence. The reason it was so uncomfortable for me was because I still couldn't hear her mind. It was so irritating.

Without thinking, I blurted out, "What are you thinking about right now?" Smooth, Edward… smooth as sandpaper.

She was confused. She looked up at me and said, "What?... Um, I guess I was thinking about how I got lost and where that meadow came from. Did you rip out all those trees and stuff?"

"No. I found it."

We were silent again. As we got closer to the house, I could hear everyone's thoughts clearer. Alice saw me running into a girl and almost killing her. Carlisle was so worried about having to move again, so soon. Then Alice saw me taking her home and told Jasper to keep his distance. She could see that this girl, whose name I didn't even know had decided to be my friend.

"What's your name?" She asked out of the blue. I still had some air.

"Edward Cullen. And yours?" I asked.

"Isabella Swan. But you can call me Bella." She held out her hand for a handshake. Without thinking I shook it and she gasped at my cold, vampire skin. "Your hand is so cold," she said.

"Um… Yeah. My family just moved from L.A. and I'm not used to the cold yet." And there goes my air supply… Again.

"Neither am I. I just moved from Phoenix." I was surprised by that. Her skin was so pale. Did she spend her days hiding in the basement?

I turned my head and pretended to cough and took in a breath. "You don't look like someone from Phoenix," I said.

"You don't look like someone from L.A." she said, without missing a beat.

"Touche." Rain started to pour down, just as Alice suspected would happen a few weeks ago.

"How much longer until we get to your house?" Bella asked, impatiently.

"Not long." I pushed a branch out of the way, revealing my house. I could hear everyone's thoughts about this stranger. Emmett was hoping she would stick around for a while. Carlisle was worried about me. He could tell I was breathing as little as possible. Esme was happy that I looked happy with this girl. Rosalie was slightly jealous at the way Emmett was looking at her. Alice's thoughts were smug. She knew we would be friends and there was nothing I could do to help it. Jasper's thoughts were too far away for me to hear over Alice. She was practically screaming at me.

Bella noticed my family gathered at the living room window and asked, "Who are they?"

"My family."

"Can I meet them?" I could hear everyone's minds screaming _'yes'_ at me except Rosalie who really didn't care.

"Um… Yes. I don't think they will mind a house guest." I lead her to the door and opened it. I took a breath as I walked in. I knew I would be talking a bit. "Carlisle, Esme, I'm home," I called louder than I normally would. We always have to keep up this human facade. That's why our house was so big. It was meant to be open, so we didn't have to hide our true identities anymore. But it was also hidden in the woods, for two reasons. One: if the humans saw a huge house in the middle of the city it would raise suspicion. And two: we are closer to our hunting grounds.

Carlisle and Esme walked into the foyer with Emmett and Alice behind them.

"I wasn't expecting you for another half an hour at the least. You've only been gone for 15 minutes. And who is this?" Carlisle asked.

"Bella, this is my father, Carlisle. My mother, Esme. My big brother, Emmett. And my annoying little sister, Alice." I pointed to everyone individually as I got to them. Alice stuck her tongue out at me like a child would. "Everyone, this is Bella." She waved nervously. I could tell she was intimidated by Emmett.

"Awe. Don't worry. He wont hurt you. He will be on his best behavior. Right, Emmett?" Esme said.

"Well, I think it's time I get you home, Bella."

She nodded and said, "Ch-I mean my dad will have a heart attack when he sees my jeans are ruined. He gave them to me as a homecoming gift. It's okay. I still have the receipt. I'll exchange them tomorrow."

"Esme. You're about the same size as Bella. would you take her upstairs and get her some warm clothes?" Alice asked.

"No. It's okay. You don't need to go through the trouble. I can change when I get home."

"Alice, you're smothering the poor girl," Esme said.

"How about we just go? My Volvo is right in the driveway." I lead her outside and walked to the drivers side of the car and got in. We don't bother locking our cars because we live out in the woods and lock the garage and arm it with our security system. I don't see why we need it. Esme is always home and tends a garden in the backyard. All for the human facade.

Bella got in on the other side and I started the car after we both buckled up. I didn't really need to. With my built in radar, I would be able to tell where the speed traps are and I have reflexes so good I would hear a skidding car before it hit the ice. And if, somehow, I did crash, I would be able to walk away without a scratch and, with our unneeded money, I could get an easy replacement.

I drove her home. She told me where to turn along the way, and we reached her house soon. It was a small two story house with white siding, gray shingles, light blue shutters, and a red door. She stepped out, thanked me for the ride home and we said our 'goodbyes'.

As I drove away, I noticed the Police Chief's cruiser parked right in front. She must be his daughter. I remembered hearing something about that in Alice's thoughts. When she was shopping she overheard that the Chief's flighty ex-wife's daughter was coming home, at last.

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><p><strong>Alright, what do you think? let me know in the reviews! Please only constructive criticism, no flames.<strong>

**The next chapter will be up by tomorrow, if not the next day.**

**Review!**


	2. There is Absolutely No Explanation

**Alright, I see that I already have 2 favorites and followers. Yay! There is a song in the middle of this chapter. I decided to try a songfic, no big. The song is ****_A Thousand Years_**** by Christina Perri. Okay, I don't really have much more to say other than, welcome to Almost Gone and Still Fighting chapter 2!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: There is Absolutely No Explanation<strong>

The entire ride home, I barely focused on the road. I was too busy trying to figure out why I couldn't hear her. I have never encountered anyone I couldn't hear. I wondered if Alice saw her coming the moment I decided to go to the meadow.

I pulled into our driveway. The bouncing car over the dirt road didn't jostle me. I was able to sit relatively still. I drove about a mile along the dirt road until I saw our house. I drove around the house and into the garage. Once I pulled in, the door closed and Alice was standing at the control panel. She was at the window before I had the chance to open the door. Being the smallest, (and most annoying, pixie-like thing I've ever seen) she was the fastest of the family, behind me. I was always fast, especially as a newborn. My reflexes are the best Carlisle has seen in his thousand or so years.

I opened the door and was instantly bombarded with questions. "Why do I see that girl becoming one of us?..." Her face went blank for a minute. She had a vision. "Why did I see you spending the night in her closet tomorrow? Spying on her?... Okay, now you're gonna be hanging outside her window."

"I never made that decision, Alice."

"Well then she made a decision that will lead to that."

"Do you really think I would have the restraint to change her? I had a hard enough time not killing her when the wind was blowing her scent away." I walked past her and into the house. I was immediately stopped by Carlisle in the living room. Emmett and Rosalie were snuggling on the couch, Jasper was sitting on the beanbag, playing on the Xbox, and Esme was sitting in the recliner, reading a book.

"What did she smell like to you?" he asked.

"She smelled so sweet, I was tempted to take her blood for my own, even after all these decades of vegetarianism. I have never smelled anything so sweet in my entire existence."

"I can tell. Your eyes are already starting to get dark, again. Do you think she could be your _la tua cantante_?"

"She has to be. I've never, in my 1,100 years, smelled anything so sweet."

"Yeah, I remember my _la tua cantante_. I couldn't resist. Then again, I had only been a vampire for a few years. I was bound to screw up. Then we moved to Denali," Emmett said and started to think about how much Tanya liked me. I ignored him.

"Your resistance was amazing. How did you do it?"

"I held my breath as much as possible. And I did everything possible not to touch her so her scent wouldn't get on me. I held my breath the entire ride, even on the way back." I placed my hand on Carlisle's shoulder. "That isn't the big problem, Carlisle. Remember when I rebelled against you? And I came back because I couldn't stand to hear people's thoughts as they die. I could've killed her and wouldn't have heard a thing. I couldn't hear her from the start. I am afraid my gift is weakening."

"Edward, that isn't possible. Gifts can only be developed and projected. We have such perfect memories, gifts can't be weakened, nor can they be forgotten."

"You don't understand. It was like her brain was a radio station emitting AM signals and I am a radio that can only accept FM."

"Did she have any mental retardation? Bipolar? ADHD? Autism? Depression?"

"Nothing I noticed. But I heard she just moved from Phoenix, Arizona, and away from her mother. Maybe she's depressed because she can't see her mom or the sun anymore," Alice mentioned.

"Alright, I'm going to my room. I need to think and none of you are helping." I flashed up the stairs before anyone could say anything, and turned on my radio. _A Thousand Years_ by Christina Perri was playing. The beginning chords were just starting when I turned it on. **(A/N: This is where the songfic starts. So if you don't like this song, skip over it.)**

"The day we met,

Frozen, I held my breath.

Right from the start,

I knew that I'd found a home,

For my heart beats fast,

Colors and promises.

How to be brave,

How can I love when I'm afraid,

To fall,

But watching you stand alone,

All of my doubt

Suddenly goes away somehow

One step closer

I have died everyday, waiting for you

Darling, don't be afraid,

I have loved you for a thousand years,

I'll love you for a thousand more.

Time stands still,

Beauty in all she is.

I will be brave,

I will not let anything take away,

What's standing in front of me.

Every breath,

Every hour has come to this.

One step closer.

I have died everyday, waiting for you,

Darling, don't be afraid,

I have loved you for a thousand years,

I'll love you for a thousand more.

And all along I believed I would find you.

Time has brought your heart to me.

I have loved you for a thousand years.

I'll love you for a thousand more.

Ooh, ooh.

I'll love you for a thousand more.

Ooh, ooh.

One step closer.

I have died everyday, waiting for you,

Darling, don't be afraid,

I have loved you for a thousand years,

I'll love you for a thousand more.

And all along I believed I would find you.

Time has brought your heart to me.

I have loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more.

It was then that I realized I wasn't supposed to hear her. It wasn't meant to be. I was already falling in love with her. I realized that I needed to see her as soon as possible.

Knowing that Alice saw my decision only moments ago, I leapt out the window just as she opened the door. _'Damnit'_ she cursed, mentally. I laughed as I ran faster than I ever had before. I ran straight to her house. I stayed away from the streets. I guess I was lucky that the trees lead right to her backyard. I ran around the house and climbed the tree in front of her window. I sat there and listened to her. She talks in her sleep. She was truly a fascinating creature.

I listened as she worried about her mom. She didn't really trust Phil, but she was happy her mom was happy with him. Then, she talked about how her father never got over her mom.

I was truly fascinated by her. The odds of finding one's _la tua cantante_ is rare and I've never come across anyone who could block me out completely. Esme, Alice and Carlisle have learned how to keep secrets from me by translating american classics into Ancient Greek or something to that effect. That basically tells me to butt out. I do try to ignore their internal voices anyway. I respect their privacy and Alice's head can get pretty scary sometimes. Every once in a while she remembers a vision she had about some random person being murdered.

Who would've guessed that anyone could block me out, and that the one person who could would smell so sweet that I have to watch myself every moment so I don't kill such a rare miracle. I'm sure Aro has never come across someone like her in his thousand or so years.

When the sun started to rise I remembered that Alice predicted this morning would be sunny but the clouds would soon roll in, getting ready for the big storm in a few days. Emmett is so excited that we can play baseball again for once. The last time a storm rolled in so did Alec and his sadistic twin sister, Jane. They are with the Volturi and Jane is Aro's most prized possession. I'm surprised he even lets her leave the castle… but then again she can hold her own.

I ran home and jumped back into my room to find Alice laying on my couch, listening to some pop crap on my stereo.

"How can something so small be so… irritating?" I asked as I took her CD out of the slot and handed it to her.

"Hey, what are little sisters for?"

"You know, I feel really sorry for whoever had to put up with you when you were human. Why do you listen to all that pop crap?"

"It's not crap, Edward. And it's not pop, either. It's electro."

"Music is played on instruments, not freaky computer sounds."

"I will give you this one, Edward. Yes they do use computers, but that makes it unique. And music is music no matter what it was played on."

"Jasper wants to talk to you." And those are always the key words to get annoying little sisters out.

After Alice left, I turned on some peaceful, classical music. I analyzed everything that happened from the moment I first heard her, walking through the woods, to watching her from her window.

I could not figure out why she is able to completely block me out like that. I had no conclusion to draw. There is absolutely no explanation.

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><p><strong>Okay, the next chapter should be up tomorrow, I'm working on chapter 5 and I think it should be done by the time I post chapter 4, but after that, don't be expecting every day like I have been doing for you right now. Anyway, review please!<strong>


	3. Sometimes, Even Humans can be Scary

**Hey! Here is the 3rd chapter of Almost gone and Still Fighting. I hope you enjoy! But I have a bit of bad news first. The 5th chapter that I am currently working on has hit a few snags... That's right, I keep wanting to make it way long compared to the other ones. I tend to do that. But I'm hoping that I can have it shortened in time to put up right after 4.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Sometimes Even Humans can be Scary<strong>

I heard Esme's light footsteps as she walked up the stairs. I didn't wanna listen to the others so I blocked it out with music, like I always did. All I could get from her thoughts was that she wanted to speak to me.

"Enter," I said barely over a whisper, knowing that she heard me. She walked in and I could tell this was about our first day of school starting today. When we got here, it was so close to the end of the semester that we decided to start at the beginning of the new one. Plus, it would help spread word to the locals that we were still settling in, even though everything was unpacked within hours of our arrival. Alice was the last to be completely unpacked because of her mountains of clothes.

"It's time for school. Alice told me to give you this." She handed me a pair of khakis and a dark blue button up shirt. I walked into my bathroom and changed.

When I walked downstairs, I heard Emmett ask, "Awe, come on, Carlisle. Why can't we take my Jeep?"

"You know why, Emmett. We have to remain inconspicuous to the humans. We are taking my car, it's the least flashy," I said as I grabbed my keys off the hook by the door to the garage. Everyone followed me out and piled into my silver Volvo.

"Ready to take high school over again?" Alice asked excitedly. Jasper sensed her excitement and smiled brightly at her. The rest of the ride was in silence as Emmett held Rosalie close in the back seat, Jasper held Alice in the middle seat and I sat alone in the driver's seat.

I pulled into the school parking lot before Jasper could say anything. I got out of the car and her scent hit me before I saw her. I looked around and saw her standing by and old rusted truck. I decided to try to avoid her as much as possible.

_'Wrong choice,'_ Alice thought. I ignored her as usual.

I walked straight into the Main Office building. A woman was sitting behind the counter looked up when she noticed us.

"Oh. You must be the Cullens and the Hales. I've got your schedules right here," she said as she pulled out some pieces of paper from a bin on the counter. She said each of our names as she handed us our schedules. Alice and Jasper had all the same classes together, as did Emmett and Rosalie. They also had the last period together as a group. I, however, didn't have any classes with anyone. I preferred it that way.

I usually just ignored people's thoughts whenever I was around a lot of people. It's easier to pretend to be human when there aren't all of these thoughts in my head, not that many people come up to us. They are usually too intimidated by our beauty. They see beauty. I see a monster.

I went through all of my classes, mainly listening to the thoughts of my siblings. I noticed that at every point in the day, Bella, the girl from yesterday, was in class with one of them. I walked to the cafeteria as soon as the bell rang. I already knew that Alice would be gushing about Bella being in two of her classes so far. She had already seen her and Bella becoming great friends. I grabbed a tray and sat down with my family.

As soon as I started to pick at my blueberry muffin, I heard Emmett think, _'Isn't that the Bella chick? She's staring at Edward!'_

I looked behind me and Bella was sitting there peering over a book at me so subtly that no human could tell. As soon as she saw me she looked down at her book… I still couldn't read her mind.

"I'll be right back," I murmured low enough that only my siblings could hear and walked over to the lunch line where Bella was heading. I used my grace to make sure I got over to her before someone else got in line between us.

"Hey, It's Edward, right?" she asked. I nodded and she continued. "I wanted to talk to you after school, if that would be okay?"

"Sure. I'll meet you by your truck at 3:10."

I started to walk away until she asked, "Aren't you gonna have lunch?"

"I already have a tray." That I'm not going to eat, I added mentally. I didn't feel the need to tell her I have a special diet. Not to mention, if our kind ate human food we would just have to find a time we could regurgitate it up later.

"Maybe you could come sit with me and we could talk now," she suggested.

"Well, my family and I were just about to head to class… But I guess I can stay for a few minutes." I followed her to her table and sat down across from her. She started to eat and the smell of the pizza helped overpower her scent.

I tried really hard to get into her head. I focused my gift as hard as I could to only the people sitting at the tables around us, then managed to focus more so I could only hear the people sitting close to us. No matter how hard I focused, I couldn't hear her. It was like she didn't think. This was so strange to me.

I eventually got fed up and asked, "What are you thinking?" I must've caught her by surprise because she jumped a bit.

"Well. Just some scary stories my friend Jacob told me last night. When I got home one of Char-ugh-my Dad's friends and his son stopped by and we went for a walk. He told me about the legends of the Quileute tribe. And that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about…"

"I've noticed whenever you speak about your Dad, you stutter a little bit. Like you're trying to correct yourself. Why?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.

"I'm not supposed to call him 'Charlie' to his face. But since I grew up with my Mom, she would always call him 'Charlie', so that's how I knew him. Then, before I got on the plane to come here, my Mom told me to call him 'Dad' not 'Charlie'. It's so hard."

"Yes. I understand how that would be hard." Every time we moved we changed our names as a precaution. Jasper has connections in Seattle. And only when we were in Forks we used our original names.

She looked up and noticed that the cafeteria was almost empty. "We should get to class," she said, as she jumped out of her chair and grabbed her backpack.

"It's healthy to skip once in a while." I remembered hearing about the lesson plans for today in Mr. Banner's thoughts and I knew I wouldn't be able to handle a room full of students skewering their fingers. Not to mention, I can't bleed.

"Well, I'm not gonna risk getting caught." She glared at me for a moment. If only she knew what I was, then I could playfully glare back once in a while. I watched as she ran out of the cafeteria doors to her next class. I decided to go sit in my car and listen to my music…

After that class period was over, I went to my last period English class. When that was over my siblings met me by my Volvo. I saw Bella standing next to her truck, talking to Angela Webber. Soon, Jessica Stanley pulled her away to talk about dress shopping. I took that as my chance to talk to her before she left.

"Jasper, you can drive the rest home. I think I wanna get a good run in today." I winked at him so fast no human would catch it. He grinned back at me.

"Don't trip up," he said, referring to our secret, and I handed him my keys and headed over to Bella. She was throwing her bag into the backseat when she noticed me, already standing behind her.

"Oh, hey, Edward."

"Hello, what did you want to talk to me about?" I remembered perfectly well that she said she wanted to talk about the Quileute legends her friend told her about. I wonder what part of their legends he told her.

"Um, do you mind if we talk in my truck?"

"Sure," I said, stupidly. I knew I would be in a confined space with her delicious scent, but I knew that if we talked about what I am afraid we might talk about, I might risk my family's secret. At this point in my life, that is all I live for anymore. Well, that and knowing that if I leave my family now, Carlisle will be disappointed in himself about changing me again and Esme would be sad. I'm her favorite for some reason, maybe it's because I remind her of her child from her human life, the one who died days after it was born. Sometimes I catch Carlisle regretting changing me. He feels like he shouldn't have doomed my eternity to loneliness. After he tried to get me with Rosalie, of all people, he thought maybe I am just meant to be alone and he just made my time alone longer. I don't regret him changing me. It was my Mother's last wish, after all.

She climbed in on the driver's side while I climbed in on the other taking a quiet deep breath before I closed the door. She drove out of town and down an abandoned dirt road that lead to a trail. I could tell the meadow wasn't too far away from here. She parked her truck along the side of the road. I waited for her to start, and after a few awkward moments she finally said something. "My friend, Jacob, he told me about the Quileute legends. And one was about the 'Cold Ones.'"

"What did he tell you about them?" I asked almost alarmingly. If that boy spilled our secret to the humans then the treaty is broken. A war between the wolves and my family could break out. We already have another war on our hands. One with the most power driven vampire coven I have ever seen. Then again we haven't seen any other vampires that haven't joined the Volturi.

She didn't hear the alarm in my voice. "He said that his great grandfather Ephraim Black made some sort of treaty with them… and now their… descendants were back. He said he didn't believe any of it but…" I remembered Ephraim… liked him almost. We would have been great friends if the rest of the pack didn't try to kill me and the rest of my family. But if the boy doesn't believe the legends, then that means that he hasn't phased yet.

"But... what?" I prodded.

"Using my personal observations along with a book I bought in Port Angeles and an internet search on… vampires," she hesitated, "I have determined that you and your family could be like the 'Cold Ones' Jacob described."

"How did Jacob describe these 'Cold Ones'?"

"Their skin is pale white and ice cold. They are beautiful creatures, inhumanly beautiful. They drink blood and are extremely dangerous. They are impossibly strong and fast. They are immortal and there is no way to kill them and only one way to create them. 'The bite of the damned will damn you to a life of hell.'... What are you?" she asked, looking away from the monster sitting right next to her.

I was silent for a few moments before I said, "What 'personal observations' have you witnessed?"

"Your family is so pale-paler than me, the half albino." She chuckled. "You speak… like you're from another time. Your family, including yourself, are all inhumanly beautiful." I chuckled at that.

"You are right. I am a monster… If you knew how close to death you are right now, in this very moment, you would be smart and run. You would never look back as you ran all the way back to Phoenix, where you came from."

"I can see what you are, through that wall you and your family have built up to keep people out. You are not a monster. And whoever told you that is one… I'm not afraid of you. And I, sure as hell, am not running away."

"What am I, Bella?" She didn't respond. "Say it. Say it, Bella."

"Vampire," she whispered low enough a human couldn't hear. But I heard her, loud and clear. I also heard the way her breath hitched and her heart speed up before the word left her mouth. I heard her lips brush past each other as she spoke. But it was still eerily silent to me because I still couldn't hear her thoughts. "You won't hurt me," she stated. It wasn't a question.

"But I could at any moment. You are human, fragile… Human…" Her scent was so intoxicating. I jumped out of the car, I startled her but I needed to go before I did hurt her. I heard her get out and follow me. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't" I scoffed. "I know you won't because I trust you."

"I'm a monster, Bella. Why can't you see that?"

"Why can't you see that you're not a monster? Jacob also told me that the 'Cold Ones' his great grandfather met weren't like normal vampires. They hunted animals not humans. They defied who they really were to be good... He said that the descendants who are here now aren't like the 'Cold Ones.' They are the _same_ ones."

"Go home, Bella. I can walk home from here."

"I wanna say something first." She walked up to me, so close that her smell was so close to taking over. Our faces were inches apart. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I love you enough to push you away right now. I won't drag you into this. My family is involved in something bigger than the human race… something you can't know about until you absolutely have to. Please, Bella, promise me that you won't ask about this. I will tell you when I feel you are ready to hear the whole truth about my family." She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. I brushed them away. "It's twilight… I think you should be going home now… Your Dad will be worrying about you." She nodded again and as soon as she turned off the dirt road, I bolted home and up to my room, turning my music up. My family understood what I had done. Alice had told them that she saw me telling Bella what we are and that I love her. I hid in my room all night.

I knew I had hurt Bella by making her promise that but I had to. The human mind can be overwhelmed too easily. A mental break-down would've been scary in that moment.

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><p><strong>Okay, so that was chapter 3. Chapter 4 should be up by tomorrow, maybe tonight if I can get a review. If nobody reviews you all will have to wait until tomorrow. So I suggest you get your butts in gear and go review... Like now... Why are you still reading, go review!<strong>


	4. Knowing All the Secrets

**Okay, first off, I got a review from a guest and they told me that there was a piece of the story missing and they asked me how Bella fell in love with him and she barely knows him and if she can feel that bond that Edward has for her. The first question will be answered soon and as for the second one yes. Even in the book, Bella could subtlety feel something for Edward. All I did was speed up the process.**

**Second, I am so sorry I didn't keep my promise. Life came up and screwed up my plans but I'm back with the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Knowing All the Secrets<strong>

The next day was a rare, sunny one. Downstairs, I could hear the TV on the sports channel. Baseball was on. The Seattle Mariners were winning in the 6th. Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie were watching. Jasper was sitting in the library listening to music and reading a book. Carlisle was in his study finishing up some paperwork. When Alice came knocking on my door, insisting that she dress me, I refused.

"Edward, if you don't open this door right now, I swear on my maidenhead, I will break it down!" Alice is the third oldest of the coven behind me and Carlisle. She lived in Shakespeare's time and hasn't quite shaken her old vocabulary. Back then, maidenhead meant virginity and female servants of the time commonly swore on it. I, however, adapted to new slang better because, not only did I hear it from the mouths of every teen that crossed my path, but also in the mind of them within a three mile radius. I heard Emmett chuckle from the front room and a smack to the back of a head, most likely from Rosalie.

"Alice, I know, you know that if you even try to get into this room, I will be more than capable to stop you. And you lost your virginity to Jasper a long time ago."

"Jasper would help me," she said proudly. I heard him pull his headphones off.

"No, I wouldn't," he said as he quickly walked by with his nose in a book, pulling the headphones back onto his head.

"Thanks, Jazz," she said sarcastically.

"No problem." He closed the door to his bedroom. Esme walked up the stairs.

"Come now, Darling, leave poor Edward alone. He is trying to figure some things out," Esme said with her rich French accent. I heard Esme lead Alice away and turned up my music just a bit.

"Edward, is that really necessary?"

"Every little bit helps, Carlisle." We spoke barely over a whisper, hearing each other perfectly. "Nobody seems to mind." It was a fact. I could hear in everyone's head, no matter how bad I want to turn it off. and the one who minded the most was Carlisle and he actually liked this song. He didn't like the lyrics as much as the music itself. It was _If I Die Young_ by The Band Perry. He thinks that the tone she uses is calming mixed with the country background.

As the next song started to play, my favorite, _A Thousand Years_ by Christina Perri, I really focused on the lyrics I've heard hundreds of times, now really understanding the meaning behind those words... They really fit my situation. Since I was... created, I have always felt like a monster... so alone in this world... so different. I felt like I wasn't complete, even when I was human. But now that I have met her, I'm not alone anymore. Even though I can't get into her head, I can tell that she is a quiet soul, but very observant. I can tell by the clothes she wears that she isn't comfortable with her body, not like Rose or Alice are. I heard in Jasper's head that she feels acceptance toward me. That she will accept me no matter what I am.

But she shouldn't know what I am, even though she has already hit it on the nose. If she gets pulled into my world too far she can get hurt… or worse killed.

There were three things I was absolutely positive about. First, the secret of vampires has been let out into the human world, an action that is 100% and completely illegal. Now the Volturi will have another reason to have our heads. Second, I won't - no I can't - live in a world where she doesn't exist. And third, I am completely and irrevocably in love with her…

"You're screwed," Jasper muttered from the other room.

"Leave me alone."

"I will… But I'm not guaranteeing she will." He felt emotions of determination turning into the long driveway. It was Bella. The determination slowly turned into frustration as the bumpy road jostled her around. I could hear her grunt every time the old truck hit a rock. I could also hear the engine stutter with every bump. Soon she parked in front of the house but took a deep breath and waited a few seconds before getting out.

"Should I get it?" Carlisle asked, from his study.

"No, she's my guest. I'll handle it." As I left the room, Alice forced a set of clothes into my arms. I quickly walked back into my room and put them on. I listened as her smooth, human heartbeat made it's way up the front steps. I realized then that as soon as that heart stopped beating, I would make my life end - one way or another.

I silently ran into the living room and waited, breathless, until the doorbell rang. I took a deep breath and walked at human speed to the door. When I opened it, her scent hit me like a ton of bricks… No, that's too light, the bricks would break on impact against my granite skin. It wouldn't even slow me down. Hell, I could take a million bullets to the chest and still not be blown over like I am in this moment. After I recovered from my moment of desire, I looked at Bella and noticed that she was wearing the same thing I was… Alice… I chuckled.

"What?" she asked.

"We match." She looked down and chuckled as well. "Please, come in." I stepped aside and she gave me a small nod as she walked in. I lead her into the living room where the rest of my family was sitting, except Carlisle, who was walking over to us, and Esme who was standing by the couch with a huge smile on her face. I listened to her thoughts and she was happy that I finally found someone to love.

"You remember Carlisle and Esme, my parents for all intents and purposes." She nodded and they greeted her politely.

Emmett turned the TV off and Bella and I sat down on the love seat. Carlisle lead Esme over to the couch and sat down with her. Jasper and Alice sat in the recliner together… I swear that tiny pixie can fit anywhere with a little determination. Rosalie and Emmett turned the huge bean-bag around and sat in that together.

I turned to Bella and noticed she was blushing behind her hair. I grabbed her hand and said, "Sweet Bella, don't be embarrassed."

"Everyone is staring at me…"

"That is just because they are intrigued… We don't usually have very much company."

"Oh, Edward… You're making us sound unsociable," Esme scolded.

I ignored her and stood up, extending my hand to her. "Let me show you the house." I was hoping my family would pick up on my hint that I wanted a few minutes alone with Bella. She took my hand, and as I was heading for the staircase, she noticed my piano and stared at it for a few moments before Esme walked up.

"Do you play?" she asked.

"No. But my Mother used to. I would sit next to her on the bench and listen to her play… Is this yours?"

She giggled a bit and I could hear in Jasper's thoughts that Bella was surprised at the noise. "No. Didn't Edward tell you he was musical?"

"You always taught me to be noble," I argued.

"Yes. But that doesn't mean that you have to hide your talent. Play for her!"

"Alright." I sat down and pulled Bella to sit with me. She watched as my fingers, gracefully and swiftly, danced along the keys in a muscle memory like way for me. I have played this song countless times for Esme… It was her favorite. I barely noticed when everyone left.

"It's beautiful…" Bella whispered beside me.

"It's Esme's favorite…" I smoothly shifted the song to a lullaby, inspired by the girl sitting right next to me. "And this one was inspired by what I felt the moment I met you." It was easy to hear the moment of confusion then the desire that triggered a hatred that led to more desire so strong that I knew I would be drawn to her. I wasn't sure if that is what she felt when she heard the music but it is what I felt when I composed it. I jumped a bit when her head landed on my shoulder.

I know that I promised myself that I would stay away from her as much as possible, to avoid killing her and going to hell… but I give up trying to stay away from her. I don't care if I go to hell as long as I get to remember the time I spent with her, I will survive.

I honed in on Jasper's thoughts so I could figure out what could possibly be inside that little head of hers. He was trying to ignore it and give us some privacy but like me, he can't turn his gift off. I could feel, through Jasper, that Bella felt love in that moment toward me, just as I felt the same.

As the lullaby came to an end, I hesitantly wrapped my arm around her waist and stood up, pulling her up with me. She looked surprised like I had just woken her up from a good sleep so I explained, "We still have a whole house to see." She nodded so I guided her through the first floor, showing her the kitchen and dining room. Then I took her upstairs and showed her the library, the door to Carlisle and Esme's room and Carlisle's study.

She was so interested in the pictures on the wall. I told her the stories behind almost every one. I refused to tell her about the ones with the Volturi… She didn't deserve to be sucked into this whole mess. We were currently on the run, trying to avoid a full out war with them. Carlisle is trying to spread peace with humans by finding an alternative food source while the Volturi, Aro, Caius and Jane specifically, hate humans with such a passion that hearing it in their heads scares me. When she tried to press me on what those paintings were about I reminded her of the conversation we had the night before.

We finished the tour by showing her the third floor, I showed her the doors to my siblings' rooms as well as the door to Alice's closet. She had another attached to her and Jasper's room with all of their clothes in it. This one is for the rest of our clothes. We let Alice dress us because we can't stand her tantrums and well… none of us really seem to mind. Rosalie really likes it when she can get all dressed up for a date with Emmett. Then I took her to my room, she really liked my music selection.

While she was here, she noticed that I didn't have a bed, the entire house was completely clean, and that there were no dirty dishes from lunch, which would have been just before she arrived. While she sat down to eat a little dinner Esme prepared, she asked me all of her questions, and I answered them all. She didn't speak another word about the Volturi since we were in Carlisle's study as I had asked her.

After she was done eating, I guided her out to her truck and opened the door for her. She stopped and turned to say something but I think she forgot what she was about to say when our eyes locked in that special way. She slowly leaned up as I took a small step closer. You can do this, I reminded myself, and you've been breathing in her scent all day. I heard her heart flutter rapidly as our lips connected. I have heard what a kiss feels like in many different people's heads, including my siblings' and parents'. But this kiss was nothing like what I had ever heard in their heads before.

After a moment, I could feel my desire for her blood rise, so I pulled out and immediately said, "I love you, Bella, more than my own life."

"I love you, too." She climbed into her truck and gave me one last look before she turned and drove home. I, however, stood there and watched as her old truck approached the highway and turned toward town. I stood there, staring at the spot where her truck disappeared behind the trees, until twilight, when Esme walked out and pulled me inside without a word. I walked at a human pace up to my room and sat on my little leather couch. I didn't even realize that I forgot to turn my music on.

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><p><strong>I haven't finished the next chapter yet but I think I will have it out sometime in the middle of the week. Review!<strong>


	5. New Acquaintances

**Hey Guys! I'm back. The story is now starting to get to the real plot with the Volturi and everything so enjoy. And please don't be mad at me by the time the end of the chapter rolls around. BTW, this chapter will be in Bella's POV. I really need to show her ignorance about the situation as well as her observation skills.**

**Second, I'm sorry if I'm ranting but I brought up a point in the first paragraph that personally annoys me. I am one of the few people who grew up in the era of analog clocks. My parents wanted me to be smart enough to read them so we didn't get a cable box until I was like 10, long after I learned how to read analog clocks. I even wear an analog wrist watch. It really annoys me when people ask what time it is and there is a clock on the wall that they can look at and they say, "I can't read that." I mean, come on its not that hard. I'm sorry if you can't read an analog clock and I am offending you but please hear me out. Kids in my school are getting their phones taken away 'cause they have it out in class to check the time and there is a clock on the wall. At least once a year, one of my teachers waste the hour because they are tired of having to take away peoples phones in class because people can't read a stinking clock. And then there's me who sits there, completely bored out of my mind, listening to my teacher rant about something that has nothing to do with me. It's annoying and a waste of my time. I personally like school and I love learning and writing so I get mad when someone's ignorance takes that away from me. I'm sorry for ranting but I needed to get it out of my system. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: New Acquaintances<strong>

"Bella," Charlie called up the stairs, "A Cullen boy is here, he says he wants to give you a lift to school today!" My eyes shot open and I saw the grey light filtering in through my window. I looked at my analog clock hanging on the wall above my desk but it took my eyes a moment to adjust to the distance. I am one of the few people my age that can read an analog clock. Once my eyes adjusted, I could see that it was 7:00. I only had an hour until school started and my first period teacher counted anyone absent if they weren't in their seat when the bell rung.

"I'll be down in a minute!" I called and jumped out of bed. I'm sure Charlie and Edward heard my mad dash for the bathroom, but I didn't care. I took the fastest shower of my life and was completely dressed and ready for school in a half an hour… new record. I'm really not that much of a morning person. I used to be when I lived in Phoenix but that changed when I moved here.

When I walked down the stairs, I saw Charlie in the kitchen grabbing his mug and filling it with coffee and Edward sitting on the couch with his backpack on the floor leaning against his leg.

"Oh, hey there, Kiddo. I hope you don't mind, but I told Edward to sit and wait 'cause I didn't hear a definite answer when you woke up," Charlie said when he saw me at the bottom of the stairs.

"Its fine, Ch-dad" I took a deep breath, knowing that he caught my slip, "I guess I can hitch a ride. I love my truck but it's such a gas guzzler."

"Sure, sure, whatever, kiddo."

"Jake's rubbing off on you, isn't he?" I accused.

He chuckled. "I gotta head out, kiddo. See ya, Edward," he called as he closed the door behind him.

Edward stood up and wrapped his arm around my waist, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I just need to grab my bag." I got it from the closet where I stash it after my homework is done and when I turned around, Edward was right there, hovering over my shoulder. I was startled at him being so close to me all of a sudden and he could sense that. I guess I've been so used to Charlie's work boots, giving me a heads up that I didn't hear Edwards silent steps.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine, really. Lets go to school, I don't wanna be late." I grabbed my keys and stuffed them into a pocket on my backpack then walked out the door with Edward following me close behind. He lead me to his silver Volvo and helped me in the passenger side. He drove me to school in a comfortable silence. After I learned that he is a vampire, I have one of the big questions out of the way, and I think that all of the other questions can wait for another day. The other big question I'm not allowed to ask. I have to wait until Edward tells me about those three men in that painting with Carlisle... and why they seemed to be loved by all when Carlisle merely respected them. Edward had told me about what happened after they met those men up until now. He told me that they were on the run from them and I knew that if Edward's family feared them then so should I. At least they would have a chance of fighting them off. I'm just a normal human. But I respect Edward's wishes and I won't ask about them.

The next thing I knew we were in the school parking lot next to a fancy red convertible. Rosalie was in the driver's seat with the big one, Emmett next to her in the passenger's seat and Alice and Jasper in the back. They all hopped over the sides of the vehicle gracefully as Edward came around and helped me out.

"You know, I'm not helpless, just human," I whispered, knowing he heard me, causing him to chuckle. He guided me over to the other car and Emmett was sitting on the trunk with Rosalie on his lap. Jasper was leaning against the other side of the car, playing with a Swiss army knife.

"Rose!" he scolded. I couldn't see anything wrong with what she was doing other than that glare she always gives me but it's nothing that I can't ignore. "Could you please try to control your thoughts? I highly doubt that remark was necessary." I was confused. How could he hear her thoughts? He must have seen the confusion on my face.

"Um... sometimes, individuals of our kind... can possess super human abilities... In fact you are in the presence of three of those individuals... more or less..."

"Wait, you could read my mind this whole time?" Crap. He would have heard how embarrassingly much I loved and adored him already.

"No... I can't," this surprised me, "For some reason, I can't hear your thoughts... It's like you're mind is running on an AM signal but I'm a radio that can only receive FM... Alice and Jasper are the two others..."

"So, wait, let me get this straight... You can't hear my thoughts because there is something wrong with me-" He cut me off there.

"I never said there was anything wrong with you Bella."

"Okay, fine whatever. But if you can't read my mind, then Jasper and Alice can..." No matter what way I thought about it, Edward knew how much I loved him. "And if you can hear them then you can, in turn, hear me..."

He was silent for a few moments. "No, they can't read minds, Bella... that's just me. They will tell you about their gifts when they feel like it. But I have no way of getting into that beautiful, little head of yours."

"Oh... okay." I was still a little confused but I knew I would get more answers at lunch.

Alice came over and grabbed my hand as she dragged me off to our first period. Jasper followed us close behind. We sat down in our seats as class began. I was paying close attention because well... I love English class. I love reading and writing. While we were working on our assignments, Alice discretely placed a small, folded up piece of paper on my lap as she walked by to put her paper in the basket. She sat right behind me and Jasper right next to me.

I unfolded it below my desk. It read, _'We will explain before we leave at lunch.' _Why would they have to leave at lunch? I remembered the weather report last night said that it would be a little sunny this afternoon but Edward told me that the sun doesn't hurt them like in movies. But at least I would understand a little bit more about their life before they leave for whatever reason... Maybe they needed to hunt again... I noticed that Edward's eyes were darker this morning and he explained how that worked when I noticed that in some paintings their eyes were a light topaz shade and in others they were black as coal.

I spent the next hour with Rosalie and Emmett in math. Math is okay for me... It makes me think and is a great distraction when I don't have a good day. Our math teacher is really aloof. He doesn't care if we don't pay attention in class. As far as he's concerned our grades are our problem. If we don't pass, well, he has ten-year so he was gonna be here another year, anyway.

The next period was with Rosalie and Emmett again and we had art. I was partners with Angela Webber. She's a sweet girl, pretty shy like me but we work well together. Every once in a while I would look over and see Rosalie, painting small smooth strokes with her small nimble fingers. She looked like she could be a professional if she really wanted to be. Then there was Emmett... If he wasn't so graceful by nature then he would be the class klutz. I watched as, every time he made a stroke, he would lift his brush up into the air. He was almost like a cartoon, the way he painted.

After class, we cleaned up and headed off to lunch with Alice and Jasper. I got in line and grabbed my tray, then went and sat at the Cullen table while my old friends stared at me but shrugged it off and went back to their usual gossip, probably about me this time, but I didn't care. I don't care for or about this town's gossip.

"Okay, we have a slight problem," Alice said when I sat between her and Edward, "It's gonna get sunny during the next period and since almost all of us sit next to windows next period, we have to go now."

"Edward said that the sun doesn't hurt you..."

"Well, it doesn't... but we can't be out in the sun while there are other people around..." I must have had a confused expression because Edward continued, "I'll show you sometime." They stayed and we talked. Rosalie didn't talk to me much but I just left her be and mainly talked to Emmett, Edward and Alice.

When the end of lunch hour was approaching, everyone, except Rosalie, said their goodbyes to me. As Edward was getting up to leave he grabbed my hand and pulled me up, kissing it, then my forehead, then exiting behind the rest. That crooked smile he gave me as he left was permanently inscribed into my memory. I would never forget that, no matter what. I went to Biology with the seat next to me empty once again. Then I went to history. Alice and Jasper's seats were empty as well. Then I missed Emmett and Rosalie in gym so I had to partner up with Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley.

But as I was walking to my truck, parked in the same place as Edward's Volvo. I saw two people standing by my truck, one in a black cloak, the other in a dark grey one. Something about the cloaks was familiar but I couldn't place it... When they sensed that I was approaching, they turned and I saw in the shadow of the cloaks over their faces that their eye's were a bright crimson red... the same shade as blood. I knew That they were vampires... the true kind. The kind that hunted humans for their thirst. They both appeared to be about 12 or 13... and inhumanly beautiful... The girl was blond with her hair tied back into beautiful braids and the boy was equally beautiful in his own way yet he was so similar to the girl that they very well could be twins... They had the same shape of their eyes, the same nose. Both of their lips were perfect.

"What do you know?" She demanded.

"What do you mean?" I asked, feigning innocence. If they were willing to risk the secret of vampires then they were no friends of the Cullens. She stared at me intently as the phrase _'if looks could kill'_ ran through my mind and I shuddered at her icy stare.

The boy placed his hand on her shoulder. "Jane," he whispered, "There's no need. She is no threat to us." I barely understood him with how low and fast he spoke but I heard him.

"Excuse me," I said as I walked past them and climbed into my truck and started it. When I looked up they were gone but I could still feel her cold gaze on my face. On the way home I felt something uncomfortable under my butt... Stupid, old upholstery. When I got home, I hopped out and inspected my seat. There was a small crinkled piece of paper. I picked it up and smoothed it out a bit. It read, _'Be safe. And call me when you get home. -Edward Cullen'_ At the bottom was his number.

I walked inside and started dinner for Charlie as I dialed his number.

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><p><strong>There's Chapter 5. Will Bella tell Edward about her mysterious confrontation? Find out in Chapter 6.<strong>

**Wow... I'm surprised that I got it done that fast. Then again, I spent all day working on it. I hope you liked it. The next chapter will be up by Friday. And I hope this answered a few questions you guys had about their relationship. And may I remind you that the entire play Romeo and Juliet took place over the course of a few days. Within the time of a couple days they met, fell in love, got in trouble, and killed themselves. Sorry if that was a spoiler but its true.**

**Review!**


	6. The Chase

**Hey guys, I'm back with the next chapter. I was having a slow day so I decided that I might as well work on the next chapter. I know I'm still working pretty fast with one new chapter every other day or so but I'm sorry to say that it will slow down very soon. This chapter will be in Edward's POV again. I prefer writing from his POV right now in the story because he knows what's going on right now. He knows more than Bella does and he knows about as much as I do about where this story is going. I was up till like 2:00 in the morning last night. I spent at least 5 hours finishing this story in my head and writing it down. I have it all organized and there are way more than 50 chapters. I was only planning on like 30-40 but oh well, more writing for me, more chapters for you. So I guess we are all happy with that outcome. Here is the 6th chapter to Almost gone and Still Fighting. It was somewhat inspired by one of my favorite songs, ****_Freak the Freak Out_**** by Victoria Justice. This will not be a songfic but you may notice some of the lines from the song mixed into the dialogue. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: The Chase<strong>

"Alice, would you mind picking up Bella's truck and bringing it to school before the sun comes out?" I asked my sister who was sitting making out with Jasper in the backseat. I was trying so hard to ignore them and I was desperate to change the subject and I'm sure Jasper could sense that.

"Sure, I remember seeing her leave her keys in her pocket and getting accidently washed last night so I know where they are."

I dropped her off at Bella's house, waited until she successfully found the key, then drove with her behind me back to the school so she could drop it off. While I was waiting for her to park the huge clunker, I pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a little note for her then folded it up and placed it on the driver's seat while Alice, jumped into the passenger's seat of my car and proceeded to honk my horn.

"Really?!" I yelled. "I'm coming! I'm coming!"

She giggled as I jumped into the car and sped off. "Annoying little pixie," I muttered. She stuck her tongue out at me. I looked to Jasper who had pulled out his history book to read. "How can you put up with her? What's your secret?"

"I don't have to put up with anything. I like her just the way she is. I wouldn't change her for the world because she is perfect the way she is." Alice turned around and smiled at him.

I pulled into the driveway and we all walked into the house. Alice pulled Jasper up to their room to continue their make out session up there. From what I could hear, Rosalie and Emmett were making great progress in their room... I need something to block this out and music won't do.

As I was walking out the front door, Alice had a vision. Jane and Alec were meeting up with someone in Seattle when they caught our scent and followed it to Forks High School. And since Alice had parked Bella's truck where my volvo was, they would be waiting there, in that exact spot and meet Bella there when school is over.

"What is it, Alice? What did you see?" I heard Jasper ask.

"Carlisle!" I yelled, "Family meeting! Now!"

Him and Esme were in the dining room, sitting at the granite table. Carlisle sat at the head, with Esme and I on either side of him. Alice and Jasper sat on the other side of me while Emmett and Rosalie sat next to Esme.

"What did you see, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"Jane and Alec are in Forks... or at least on their way from Seattle. They are going to run into Bella while she is getting out. They followed our scent all the way to that school."

"We have to go and get her before they hurt her!" I yelled as the clouds cleared and shined through the windows, glittering off our skin and creating millions of rainbows around the room. A human would be blinded for a few seconds in this room but our eyes adjusted instantly.

"Got a plan B, little brother?" Emmett asked.

"We have to go and save her, I don't care if we get caught." Carlisle was giving me a scolding look and his thoughts were just the same. "Carlisle, you must understand, I love her. I can't live in a world where her heart is not beating, it's impossible. She is my mate."

"No," he said in a final tone, "We can't risk it. The only thing we can do is hope they aren't willing to kill an innocent girl in front of a crowd of children." I stood up, fuming.

"Fine, but if she dies, so do I."

"Edward!" Esme said in a shocked and scolding tone.

"No, Esme. I love her like you love Carlisle. I would do anything if she was in danger. I would give my life simply so she could keep living. I refuse to live in a world where she doesn't exist. I would give my soul to make her happy but as soon as her heart stops, so does my life. I refuse to live any longer than a minute after she is dead." I could hear in everybody's minds that they would not help me kill myself if it came to that. "I will go straight to Aro, himself and ask that he personally kills me. And if he refuses because my gift is too strong, then I will expose myself to the humans and he will be forced to kill me."

"It won't come to that, son. I doubt that they would kill an innocent girl in front of a group of children."

"What about Jane's gift? She could torture it out of Bella, that she knows about us. Then she will be forced to kill her."

"No," Alice said. "She won't expose that in public. Aro told her not to and she has to obey him."

"Wait, hold on," Emmett said, "How can they be out in the sunlight right now and not be caught?"

"They have their cloaks and are standing between her truck and Tyler Crowley's van."

Alice concentrated on her visions. "Jane is going to sense something off and want so bad to try her gift out on her, but Alec is going to, more or less, stop her."

"Is is less or is it more?" I ask desperately.

"She's not going to, I promise."

"Wait, if they tracked our scent to the school, they could come here," Rosalie said.

"So, we fight," Emmett said, standing and clapping.

"No, no fights," Carlisle said, placing his hand on Emmett's shoulder.

"We could never stand a chance anyway, with Alec there, we'd all be blind. We wouldn't know we were dead until the burning started, and even then, we still would think it was just Jane until we realize that it is lasting forever." Everyone was surprised by my dark statement, especially Jasper and Esme.

The room was silent for a long while before Esme said, "Maybe we should wait in the safe room until they leave," so softly we could barely hear.

"What about Bella? She won't be safe if she just goes home. They could track my scent there, too," I said.

"Shes going to call you in a few seconds. Tell her to go to the reservation," Alice said.

I pulled out my phone and it started to ring. I took a deep breath and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Bella."

"Can you do me a little favor? No questions asked?"

"Depends... Will I need a shovel, axe or gun to complete this 'little favor'? My dad is a cop, you know that right?" I chuckled.

"No, you don't need anything like that. You said that you had a friend on the reservation, correct?"

"Yeah... Jacob, why?"

"I need you to stay on the reservation tonight..."

"Ok, I don't think that will be a problem. Charlie and I were gonna go up there to watch the game with Billy and I think I can convince him to let me sleep over. It's not a school night. Your favor won't be a problem for me... But, I want to know why. I don't need to know now, but I want you to promise me that you will tell me who those two were and why you need me to hide."

"I will. Be safe. I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too." The line went dead.

"She will be safe."

"But we won't if we hide in the safe room. They will find us, and we will have no choice but to fight. We have to chase them off." We spent the next hour strategizing. We would all wait in the backyard, where they would come in. I would give the signal. As soon as I heard them about to attack, we would attack first and chase them out.

So there we stood, on our back porch. "How long, Alice?" Jasper asked.

"Not long... soon. 15 minutes... tops."

"I can hear them... They're arguing," I said. "Alec doesn't think Aro would be happy if he found out that they attacked us without the rest of the guard. Jane says that he would be ecstatic if they took us out by themselves." I heard hisses and growls from the rest of my family. "Alec won't risk it. He's going to leave us alone. He knows that Jane would never take something like this on, by herself... She isn't listening to him for once... Let's go." I lead the chase out of Forks. When they heard us approaching, Alec grabbed Jane's arm and ran. We chased them through the night. We chased them for almost 2 weeks until Alice saw them getting on a private boat and heading back to Italy. We started heading home... It took us another 2 weeks.

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><p><strong>Okay, so what do you think? Good? Bad?... I told you that things would pick up. The next chapter will be in Bella's POV again. Review!<strong>


	7. Where?

**Oh my goodness guys! I am so sorry. I take a Kook Sool Won class and I'm a month away from testing for my first belt so I've practiced a lot lately. I had class last night and I worked so hard. I fell asleep on the couch, I was too tired to make it to my room. Anyway, I don't mean to brag but I'm gonna tell you a story of what happened in class a couple of weeks ago. We were doing hand conditioning (making our hands stronger so we can hit harder) and it was the first time I had been there for conditioning week. I went up to the mat and it turns out that I can punch just as hard as a third degree black belt with over 25 years of conditioning. In Kook Sool there are nine different levels of black belts. They go from first degree, the least lethal, to ninth degree, the most lethal. Currently there are only two ninth degree black belts and one is a woman, the other is her husband. I wish I could meet her because she is officially my role model. I wanna be where she is someday.**

**Anyway, that's enough about my personal life. Let's get on with chapter 7 of Almost Gone and Still Fighting. It will be in Bella's POV. Again, I am so sorry for not updating sooner.**

**PLEASE NOTE: This takes place on Friday exactly two weeks after the Cullens left to chase Jane and Alec off.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Where?<strong>

I waited the next day but he never called. I waited the next week. He never showed up at school and neither did any of his siblings. On Wednesday of that week I'd asked my father to check and see if Carlisle had been in. He called his friend Harry Clearwater who had been in for some tests on his heart. Carlisle was his usual doctor. Harry had said that Dr. Gerandy had been taking care of his tests for this week and he said that Dr. Cullen had to leave on a family crisis... something about their cousin Tanya having complications during her pregnancy and the family wanted to go... I don't know why but I still don't believe that.

The timing of it was too perfect. The day after I learn about the Cullens a strange couple find me at school then I call Edward and haven't heard from him since... Something is going on and I had three possible theories. First, the story Carlisle had told is true and they have a human cousin who needed help. I knew about the frozen in time thing. Probable. Second, Something was going on, something that he doesn't want me to know about, something he specifically told me not to ask about. It had something to do with those black cloaked men in that painting in Carlisle's office and that couple that found me at school. Possible. Or because he told me something that I'm sure he isn't supposed to tell anybody, he had to leave in hopes that I didn't tell anyone about his family. And if I did, he wouldn't hear about it. I would just be the girl who cried vampire and thrown in a mental institution. That was the most likely of all the conclusions I could draw and the bottom line is that he doesn't love me the way he said he did on the trail that day. Every touch, every smile, it was all a lie.

Of course, I came to this resolution about two weeks ago. I'm not a person who likes to dwell on the past so I moved on. I started talking to Jacob more. Charlie didn't know a thing about Edward and I. And I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible.

I'd been spending a lot of time with Jacob. We had really grown on each other the night I slept over for Edward. Every weekend since we've done the same thing. And everyday after school, I'd pick him up and take him to my house. I'd tutor him in math and English while dinner was cooking. He would also help me with science. I never really liked science. Especially Biology. I would never be able to stand the sight of blood, I can barely stand the thought of it.

I was on my way to the Black's house. Charlie and I were going to meet there before the Clearwater's barbecue and help Billy make the potato salad. But Jacob and I both knew it would end up being more like I would make it and he would help while our dads talked and laughed at their small kitchen table. But I don't mind as long as people like it.

My ancient truck rumbled into the Black's driveway and Jacob, recognizing the sound of his old truck, came running out, pulling his long, black hair into a loose ponytail. On the reservation, kids get out an hour earlier so I'm sure Jacob's been bored out of his mind.

I hopped out of my truck and Jacob immediately pulled me into one of his bone-crushing hugs. He may be 16, but he is so big. I swear the government is feeding adolescent tribal boys growth steroids. It's not just Jacob, all of his friends are huge too. Even Seth Clearwater is growing super fast too. It seems like just yesterday, he was 15. Not a 15 year-old trapped in an 18 year-old's body.

"Can't breathe, Jake!" I choked out.

"Sorry," he said as he set me on my feet, but kept his huge hand on my waist to steady me. "Let's go inside." He led me inside. "I got all the ingredients out for you if you want to start before our dads get here. It's not like they'll help."

At that moment, we heard Charlie pull up. "No need to wait anymore." I started measuring out the ingredients and handing them to Jacob so he could mix them into the big bowl.

"Hey, Billy!" we heard Charlie shout. I was confused because I thought he was in his room.

Jacob must have seen the confusion on my face, though I didn't look up from my work. "He was over at Harry's for the afternoon." I nodded in understanding. He walked to the door and held it open for Charlie to wheel Billy in with Harry following as Jacob and I had predicted, our dads and Harry sat at the table, talking while we did all the work.

After I put the potato salad in the fridge to chill, Jacob tapped my shoulder and whispered, "Wanna hang in my room 'till the old coots get done talking?" Thankfully, they were all too busy in their conversation that they didn't hear him.

"Sure." He led me down the short hallway to his small room. As I left the kitchen I saw a strange look go across Charlie's face. He looked both content and worried at the same time. I smiled at him and his indecisive mood changed into a content smile.

"Sorry, it's a mess," he said as we walked in.

"It isn't any worse than mine," I lied. I don't mind when my friends' rooms are messy but I can't stand it if mine is.

"Liar," he accused immediately, "you are such a terrible liar, it barely counts as a lying. I've seen your car and backpack. You keep them both completely organized. It is only reasonable to assume that your room is the same way."

"You caught me." I raised my hands in surrender. "But I still don't mind the mess." I took a seat on the edge of his bed and he sat, cross-legged on the floor in front of me.

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><p><strong>Edward's Point of View<strong>

We had just lost their scents at the end of a dock somewhere in the middle of South Carolina. Alice was sitting on the edge of the dock in Jasper's arms and I was sitting next to her, focusing intently on her visions. She saw that Jane and Alec were going to head back home and act as if the encounter with us had never happened unless he decided to touch them, to witness the original mission for himself. Then he would obviously see the truth and we won't know what he does about it until he makes a direct decision.

Suddenly, Alice's visions turned toward Bella. Her future disappeared completely. "Alice, what is going on back home? Where's her father?" She tried looking for Charlie's future but came up empty. I was getting frustrated.

"What is going on?!" Jasper could feel our anxiety and confusion.

"I don't know. Bella's future just disappeared, yet I didn't see her dying, just ceasing to exist." I took in a sharp, unneeded breath. This was exactly my one fear: that she would cease to exist and become a dream to a creature that didn't sleep.

I made a split second decision, one too fast for Alice to catch. I ran. I ran fast and because I was the fasted of the family, I knew that if I could move fast enough that Alice couldn't see me and catch me in the same moment, I could make it to Bella without a single distraction. Her fingertips lightly brushed my hand in one moment, then the next, I was flying, using my built-in radar, to avoid humans and still find the fastest way to my Bella.

I was panicking and I knew it. But her safety means more than the world to me. I could hear the thoughts of my family as they tried to keep up and after a few hours, they were too far out of my hearing range.

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><p><strong>Bella's Point of View<strong>

Fifteen minutes before the barbecue started, Charlie walked into the door. "Hey, kids, Sue called and Harry needs to be there to set up early. So I'm gonna take Harry and Billy over in your truck."

"Sure. I left the keys in the ignition." When Charlie gave me a look, I responded, "It's La Push."

"Alright, so that means you kids will have to walk to the Clearwater's house."

"No problem. I know the way. It's not that far," Jacob said.

"Alright, see you at the barbecue, I guess. And we'll take the potato salad." Charlie left with Billy and Harry. We listened as my truck fired, noisily, to life, then rumbled off into the distance.

"I know you've met Seth before, but have you met Leah?"

"I don't think so. But I've heard a lot about her from you."

"Well, a word of advice, just say hi and if she offers more conversation - and I doubt she will - then go for it, but don't try to make her talk or she will bite your head off." Then I thought I heard him mutter something like, 'So true.'

"You know me, Jake. I'm not that talkative around new people. You should have seen me on my first day of school. It was awful. People were staring at me the whole time."

"Small towns tend to do that. The gossip around here spreads like wild fire. Especially if Mrs. Stanley is told. She's that one person in every group that can't keep a secret to save their soul." He checked the time. "We better head over. It's almost time for the barbecue."

He grabbed his jacket on his way out of the door. Mine was in the truck. It was expected to rain later tonight, at about the time the barbecue ended. At lest the Clearwater's had a covered back patio.

As he lead the way to the Clearwater's, Jake and I took turns kicking a large rock out in front of us in comfortable silence.

"So, I see that you've had another growth spurt. Are you ever gonna stop? You're like 6 feet tall."

"You noticed. Well, my dad thinks I'm done growing for now."

"You know, typically your last growth spurt happens a little closer to the end of high school. You have to be the biggest sophomore in your school."

"So?" He seemed to blush, but I couldn't really tell with his tanned skin and his long hair in his face. He'd pulled it out while we were talking in his room. I got a feeling that I had struck a nerve.

I stopped and Jacob did too. I could see that he _was_ blushing. "What is it, Jake? You're never like this."

"Look, can I tell you a secret? But you can't tell a soul. Okay? It's super important. And I hate that I've kept it from you this long."

"Anything, Jacob. You're my best friend. You can tell me anything." He grinned evilly. And I was suddenly very scared.

"First, llama swear." He held up his hand in the shape of a llama's head.

"What's that?"

"If you break the swear and tell somebody what I am about to tell you, I get to spit in your mouth." **(A/N: I'm sorry if this kinda grosses you out but it's a part of every day life at my school. And I've only broken a llama swear once and it honestly wasn't that bad 'cause I knew the guy.)**

"Ew. Jake. Gross..." I saw his face, it was dead serious. And he is way more stubborn than me. I knew I couldn't make him change his mind, no matter how hard I tried. "Fine." I held up my hand like his and we llama sweared.

"Alright... Well, you know Embry, Quil, and Seth. You're gonna meet Leah, Sam, Jared and Paul. All of us... well, we're werewolves, but not the ones you see on TV - the giant hairy men who change on the full moon. We change pretty much whenever we want to, with a few exceptions, like when we're angry. But we change into giant wolves. Straight wolves, but about the size of a horse." I believed him, every word. If vampires existed, then it seems only logical that werewolves would too.

Jacob was staring at me, expecting me to laugh or scream at him for thinking I was born yesterday. I waited a moment, to let all of the new information sink in.

"I believe you," I said with such sincerity, it shocked me he didn't believe it.

"No, you don't. You think I'm crazy."

"Honestly, I do. And it only makes sense that Hollywood got it wrong..."

"What do you mean?"

"Llama swear, you can't tell anyone." I held my hand up like before and we llama sweared. "Well, what do you know about the Cullens?"

"Probably more than you. What did that leech tell you?!"

"Not much, actually. Just that Hollywood was wrong about them turning to ash in the sun light and that they don't have to survive on human blood."

"Well, then, welcome to the world of freaks and monsters," he muttered.

"Jacob, you are not a freak, and certainly not a monster." He gave me a look.

"I am a freak. Whenever I get angry, I turn into a wolf the size of a horse. I never really wanted to phase. There is a lot of responsibility when it comes to being a wolf. We have a lot of duties around here. First, we have to keep those bloodsuckers off our land and the Makkah's land. We have treaties to uphold with almost every tribe in the area that remember's our stories. But the most important treaty of them all is with those leeches. Neither of us are allowed to reveal the secret of the other unless the treaty is broken..."

I had let him babble too long. "Jacob, no treaty was broken. Edward told me about his family and nothing more. And you told me about your pack. No treaty was broken. Each party told me about themselves and nothing about the other. You don't need to start a war. Edward and his family already have enough to deal with."

"Then why weren't you surprised? When I told you about me you weren't surprised. Any normal human would... I don't know... think I'm stupid or something. Maybe even yell at me."

"I guess I wasn't surprised because there are already vampires... At this point I would be willing to take witchcraft lessons from Angela... I know it's weird and dangerous that I'm already so used to this world... but what would life be if we didn't take any risks?"

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><p><strong>All right guys. I'm very sorry I haven't been updating as often as I said I would but please hang in with me. I am in high school and homework has been hitting me hard and my martial art master is expecting me to be at least a red belt by spring time so I've been practicing like crazy... The plus side is I've lost a lot of weight! <strong>

**Anyway, I thought I'd leave you guys to brood on that last quote and just remember that I have the mind of a philosopher... so yeah. Tell me what you think in the comments!**


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